The significance of form: R. Moses of Coucy's reading audience and his Sefer ha-Mizvot

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Abstract

Sefer Mizvot gadol (Semag) by the French Tosefist R. Moses of Coucy was a most influential halakhic work in medieval times. Originally titled Sefer ha-Mizvot (The Book of Commandments), it was written in northern France in the first half of the thirteenth century and in many ways reveals the influence of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah. Indeed, to understand R. Moses of Coucy's legal project properly, it is important to comprehend the availability of Mishneh Torah in Europe at the time. Whereas Maimonides completed his Mishneh Torah circa 1180, the work seems not to have reached the study halls of the French Tosefists before 1200. In this article, I explain R. Moses' purpose and program in writing his Sefer ha-Mizvot, examine the format he chose, and clarify who his presumptive reader, or readers, may have been.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)293-321
Number of pages29
JournalAJS Review
Volume35
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Cultural Studies
  • History
  • Religious studies
  • Literature and Literary Theory

RAMBI publications

  • rambi
  • Jewish law -- History
  • Maimonides, Moses -- 1135-1204 -- Mishneh Torah
  • Moses ben Jacob -- of Coucy -- active 13th century -- Sefer mitsvot gadol
  • Tosafists

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